What happens to a dream deferred?
Dose it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-
And then sun?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-
Like a syrupy sweet?
May be it just sags
Like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
-Langston Hughes (1902-67)
Preface:
After the constitution assembly declared, the nation as the federal republican itself underwent through a wide range of discussions the assumptions on federalism. The Limbuwan picked itself to the peak of the discussion which is resultantly culminating the idea of an autonomous Limbuwan state among the other states throughout the nation. The idea refers to Limbuwan autonomy which is not necessarily the autonomy of only the Limbu but also of the other castes, and people living in this area. Nor it refers to the retrieval of the past tradition, subba-subbhangi, jagarbagar or the elitist tradition of the 17th century. But it refers to the farmore advanced ideas of 21st century which is characterized with social Justice, Equalism, Freedom, Human Right, Inclusiveness, norms of ILO -169, scientifically and technologically sophisticated. National state.Limbuwan area is to be Limbuwan autonomy because of the result of the human civilization developed by the past ethno-historical background. The voice for Limbuwan is the composition of all the tribes and castes and race and religion of this area. In other words, Limbuwan state or nationality is the nationality where there is the equal representation of different castes, religions, cultures and genders of that area. The concept refers to the cooperative assimilation and broader agreements between all those diversities. The autonomy is the autonomy to achieve Limbuwan nationality. The citizens keep their aim to achieve Limbuwan autonomy with the right of self-determination along with the process of institutionalizing the federalism in republican Nepal.
Introduction:
Nepal is a small country in the world map, contains a wide area of racial diversity. Among several indigenous races Limbu is the one holding the majority of population in Limbuwan territory. The word 'Limbu' traces back to its history with the words 'yakthunghang Liminghang and Lilimhang. The limbus claimed themselve to be the generation of 'Yakthunghang Lilimhang (to the Gorkha tribe). This can be verified by the fact that king prithivy Narayan shah had addressed the Limbus subba and Raya as the offspring of 'Limbu Tututumyanghang' and 'Tututumyanghang Yakthunghang' Limbus also presented themselves as the generations of the Susuwalilim Yakthunghang. This way Yakthumbas came to known as Limbu. In record of 1831, Bhadra 5, Shah Dynasty had addressed the land of Yakthumbas as the Limbuwan in their record of treaty of 1831 Bhadra 5. According to the Historician Imansingh chemjong, Limbuwan state came into existence because of the struggle between kirats. This struggle took place 600 years after Isha mahisha had died etymologically, he further says, the word Limbuwan consists of three different words: Li.(meaning bow), Aabu (meaning hit/fire) Wan(meaning to give name). Thus, Limbuwan is the state won by the bow. He further says in the 7th century, king moborong established a state between dudha koshi and mechi as the Limbuwan state. In the same way and time king sailaing Limbuwan state widened upto Tibet in the north, jalalagadh in the south. In the 18th century, Limbuwan state enlarged its boundary/territory broadening its boundary upto Tista (western Sikkim) to the east, Tibet to the north, Bihar of India to the south and river Arun to the west. Up to 1774, Limbuwan was a free state. King Prithvi Narayan shah in his mission of unification of small states got lost in his 17 attempts to control over kirat Limbuwan. At the war brave Limbuwan leader kangsore was killed and has still been remembered as the shining star in the history of Limbuwan because Limbuwan army got victory against the gorkhas in vijaypur, as the Limbuwan capital there was a treaty between the two warning sides on the 22nd of shrawan, 1831 which explained Limbuwan as a free state. But later on when the shah dynasty brought a document called Lalmohar on its accord claiming itself the inclusion of Limbuwan to gorkha territory, about 32 Thousand Limbus left the state to the struggle against Gorkha.
Thus the fact shows that Limbus never surrendered themselves to the feet of Gorkhas like the other states. After the sugauli treaty in 1816, Limbuwan lost its eastern territory Tista and some other parts in the south. About 149 years later after the sugauli treaty king Mahendra attacked against the authority of Limbuwan over the land granting the law of land in 2021 B.S. the constitution of this law for anout 21 years, their right to their land was thrashed hopelessly by the panchayat regime.
Federalism and ethnic autonomy:
Though small in size, Nepal is rich in cultural, religious, lingual and ethnic dimensions. And for a longer time Nepal has been known for its unity in diversity. In such countries i.e. multicultural society, federal system is very much effective rather than unitary and centralized system. Federalism is a system where we can find unity in diversity on the whole, where there are the possibilities of equality, inclusiveness and development. Federalism on the basis of ethnicity has been found in many countries where republican system can live long.
Because of its ethnical diversities, Nepal also has to be federal country on the basis of its ethnical realism. So called higher class people are always at the centre of government and administration and the other minorities are permanently out of the mainstream of the national consciousness. If those minorities are given chances to build up their federal states on the basis of their higher representation, in the certain areas, through they cannot affect to the national level, they can do well in their own states about their own concerned matters.
For about 250 years, only one kind of caste remained in power. And now it has been shattered and failed because that kind of mono-ethical system didn’t become successful in such a multi-ethical country. It only created the problems minorities became always excluded from the power and opportunities. They were forced to use the language, religion and the tradition of the same elite group only the ruling caste was regarded as the authentic in every sector of the society. This way upper and lower caste class of people came into existence in Nepal. To save the country from the explosion of class struggle and violence, federalism should be established on the basis of ethnic groups across the country. In such a way that equal opportunities will be given to all the ethnical groups. Then only Nepal will be really a garden of different castes and cultures where all the flowers of castes have equal role to enhance the beauty and fragrance to the nation. The central government can hold the control over the autonomous states on certain terms and conditions so that the people and their states get chances for their full fledged developments.
Naming of Limbuwan and the Bases for Autonomy:
For more than 250 years the governing policy of Nepal has been unitary based and biasness on the bases of race, language, sex, culture and geographical differences. So today’s demand is to restructure the nation keeping in mind the characteristics of its own diversities. To restructure the nation, it is said that federalism should be applied on different factors like racial, social, lingual, historical, cultural, religion, economical as well as the availability of natural resources. However, the ethical factor is the prime factor to restructure the nation into states. It is because the Nepalese are much dominated by racial/suppression/discrimination. People of indigenous group are here exploited much on the bases of race, religion, language, culture, socio-economic conditions and so on. When the people are free on the basis of their ethnicity, then they become themselves free from those factors mentioned above. In Limbuwan autonomous state, Limbus are free not only from the perspective of their racial/ethnical status but also from the perspective of their religious, cultural and lingual status. It is because their religion is Kirat, language is Limbu and culture is Mundhum. And ethnic autonomy automatically makes freedom from all these factors.
Limbuwan autonomy should be established on the basis of ethno-historical background because Limbus have their own land since the past, they have the continuation of living and majority of population. They have their own distinct cultural identity, language and their own distinct tradition. To govern the state they have common consciousness as well as much more possibilities of economic development.
Limbuwan comes to be the ultimate means of restructuring the country into federal system while provision of the right to use the land (Kipat) for a longer time in the past also proves this historical background. Here Kipat refers to the right and relation of Limbus to the land. Thus, it brings the ideas of autonomy which we could find lately in Limbuwan state. To be a single Limbuwan autonomous state, it has got its own distinct characteristics like historical background, geographical, lingual, socio-cultural background granted by the Vijaypur treaty.
There is distinct and indirect relationship of Brahminism with Nepalese economy that believes in chakadi/chaplusi, and fate and worship rather than in labour and competition. That is very much unproductive. Brahmanism only focuses on one’s own supremacy. There is no respect to others ideas and knowledge in Brahmanism. To encounter this long/deep rooted concept of Brahmanism also the country should be divided into different federal state and that should be the ethnic federalism. It is possible only these where the so called Hindu elites and fateist Hinduism become/thrashed powerless and deemed.
Limbuwan state holds the right to be a federal state not only because of theoretical discussion but also according to the number of population. Only the Limbu people hold the majority in population in this state. Also they have their own (suppressed) identity, own language, culture and tradition that has been suppressed, and biased since hundreds of years. To bring it into federal state the only means should be its ethical property so that their original lost identity, language, religion, culture and tradition will be required. In the same way other federal states should also be divided according to their ethical quality so that their valuable properties will be required. We can see the examples around the world that federal states are built up on the basis of race, language, religion, culture and identity but not on the basis of gender, class and level professions and age group.
Autonomous states should be named with the ethical group, language, culture and tradition but it will be inappropriate to name with river, geography, lake, mountain and others. Limbu is very much typical to the Limbuwan State; it has the systematic relation with the land since long history. Its ancestors were the first conqueror of the land. Centre/unitary/unipolar Hindu kingdom had denied and restricted the lingual, cultural and religious norms and values of the indigenous and marginalized people. That is why the new system should restructure, reconstruct and regenerate the civilization of the socially, culturally and religiously biased groups.
Ethical differences are really the properties and sources of a nation. Those names after the certain groups or tribes carry the history those particular social groups and those particular geographical areas. To call Limbuwan for Limbus’ territory is to give respect to the Limbus, and it is also the opportunity and the resources for the nation. It is the state where Limbus were the first to live there. They are deeply attached to it. It has been a long time since kirat/Limbuwan state had been disappeared from the main stream policies. Though it was under the tyrannous control of the then Hindu kingdom, there was not struggle between the Limbus and non-Limbus neither was it disappeared because there was violence against the Limbus. Now reestablishment of Limbuwan does not refer to the counter attack against non-Limbus. It is the counter attack against the corruptible concept of the unitary tyrannous nationality. Now country has entered its federal republican system, so that, it will not be unfair to divide the country according to the ethical distribution. The new Limbuwan federal state will not accept any types of control at any cost.
Conclusion:
In the move rapid change the nation finds itself confronted by massive opposition. It is natural to have an identity crisis in the time of change and ethnicity becomes one major form of identity. The nationwide distribution of ethnic groups is such that Nepal is a country of minorities, but some ethnic groups are concentrated in a certain part of the country. So, while searching for identity should be in such a way that national bond will be stronger like that of between the communalities. The truth is that people have become ethnically conscious in the recent past and it is a good indication of racial progress.
Nepal had developed the national bonds through the concept of one nation, one language, one religion and one nationality, and the Limbuwan identity movement likes to go breaking through those concepts but not all after the unification of the small states by king prithvy Narayan shah, the country became unified only by geographically but not by sharing feelings and on the sub-conscious level. Instead, the nation neglected the identities of the indigenous people and their ethnicity, their language, religion and culture. Moreover, they were enforced to the Hinduism, their land was corrupted and language and culture were badly in discriminated.
Limbu, one of the indigenous castes in Nepal, got oppressed and dominated by the previous government. Lack of autonomy and inequality are the problems they are facing. Prohibition from the search of the policy making, joblessness, out of the use of natural resources, displacement are the major factors which are contributing to their economic problem. Control over language, inequality, cultural domination, illiteracy etc. are the socio-cultural problems over Limbus. To escape from all these obstacles, Limbu people need the autonomous Limbuwan state. To change ones’ inborn identity and quality is very much inappropriate against the inborn right of a person. Instead, it can be divided into a separate federal state as a unit of the whole nation. And that will be more practicable and appropriate, easier and effective. Therefore, racial, cultural and lingual are the proper means to identity divide the country in a more scientific way. Unity in diversity should be more effective institutionalized. Those who are considered as minority Brahmins, kshetri, damai, kami, magar, sarki etc in this region should be given equal opportunities so as to guarantee the basis rights granted by the nation and constitution. The perfect prosperous and harmonious society will be developed. There should be effectively application of the norms like inclusiveness, approach to decision making, policy making for the other minorities in this state.
According to its history, the Limbuwan territory covers up to Arun to the east, mechi in the west, Tibet to the north and Nepal-India boarder to the south. This is the interest of Limbuwan state. But if the central government goes against their interest, then the Limbuwan state feels to be biased from the central government. So, it wants to be autonomous state where they can get every right except to go against the social negativity.
Its’ been 332 years since the Limbuwan state came to discussion. If the central government doesn’t address it, that will be a great pain for them. They will go themselves to seek their rights. So, their opinion is to write about their voice, interests and desires through the new constitution. So, the government should address them otherwise, the government will be pulled into the struggle that will not be beneficial to anyone and any long and the nation will be pushed towards the racial war. The Limbus believes in peace and faith, so they don’t like to break the peace but they like to regain their right with peaceful environment.
(An author is a national chairperson of Limbu student Forum)
Tanka Phombo Limbu
tanka.phombo@gmail.com
विधानमा नेपालमा प्रचलित सम्वत्हरुको सूचीमा 'किरात येले' सम्वत्लाई पनि सूचीकृत गर्न तयारी स्वरुप गृहकार्यका लागि नवसमन्वय र मुन्धुम प्रकाशन प्रा. लि. को आयोजनामा येले सम्वत् विषयक विशेष अन्तर्क्रिया कार्यक्रम राष्ट्रिय नाचघर काठमाडौंमा सम्पन्न भयो । कार्यक्रमका अतिथिहरु प्राज्ञ वैरागी काइँला, डा. जगदीशचन्द्र रेग्मी र भूपाल र्राईले मन्तव्यका साथ विभिन्न सल्लाह सुझावहरु दिएका थिए । विचार राख्ने क्रम्मा डा. रेग्मीले यस येले सम्वत्लाई किरात राजा यलम्बरको स्मारक सम्वत्को रुपमा मान्न सकिने राय दिनुभयो । प्राज्ञ काइँला भने सम्वत् प्रचलनमा आउनुको ऐतिहासिकतालाई प्रष्ट पार्दै अझ गहन र मिहिनरुपमा यसबारेमा अध्ययन अनुसन्धानको खाँचो औंल्याउनु भयो । त्यसरी नै भूपाल र्राईले विशेषगरी किरातजन्य चारवटा संस्थाहरु किरात याक्थुङ चुम्लुङ, किरात र्राई यायोख्खा, किरात याक्खा छुम्मा र किरात सुनुवार सेवा समाजले यसबारेमा जिम्मा लिई पहल गर्नुपर्ने सुझाव दिनुभयो । अन्तर्क्रियामा चुम्लुङका मञ्जुल याक्थुम्बा, अर्जुन लिम्बूले आफ्नो विचार राख्नु भयो भने यायोख्खाका तर्फबाट सुमाया र्राई र चन्दवीक्रम र्राईले आफ्नो मत राख्नु भएको थियो । तयसैगरी, याक्खा छुम्माबाट दुर्गामणी देवान र सुनुवार सेवा समाजका प्रतिनिधिले पनि आ-आफ्नो राय दिनु भएको थियो । कार्यक्रममा लिम्बू विद्यार्थी मञ्चका अध्यक्ष टंक फोम्बो र चलचित्रकर्मी नवीन सुब्बासमेतले यसबारेमा विचार राख्दै सल्लाह सुझवा दिनु भएको थियो ।कार्यक्रमको अन्तमा, आयोजक मुन्धुम प्रकाशनका अमर तुम्याहाङले सम्वद्ध किरातजन्य संस्थाहरुले यो विषयमा कदम नलिएकोले आफूहरु यो कार्य गर्न अग्रसर भएको बताउँदै अबको बाँकी कार्यका ती किरातजन्य चार संस्थालाई जिम्मा लिन आग्रह गर्नुभयो ।
विधानमा नेपालमा प्रचलित सम्वत्हरुको सूचीमा 'किरात येले' सम्वत्लाई पनि सूचीकृत गर्न तयारी स्वरुप गृहकार्यका लागि नवसमन्वय र मुन्धुम प्रकाशन प्रा. लि. को आयोजनामा येले सम्वत् विषयक विशेष अन्तर्क्रिया कार्यक्रम राष्ट्रिय नाचघर काठमाडौंमा सम्पन्न भयो । कार्यक्रमका अतिथिहरु प्राज्ञ वैरागी काइँला, डा. जगदीशचन्द्र रेग्मी र भूपाल र्राईले मन्तव्यका साथ विभिन्न सल्लाह सुझावहरु दिएका थिए । विचार राख्ने क्रम्मा डा. रेग्मीले यस येले सम्वत्लाई किरात राजा यलम्बरको स्मारक सम्वत्को रुपमा मान्न सकिने राय दिनुभयो । प्राज्ञ काइँला भने सम्वत् प्रचलनमा आउनुको ऐतिहासिकतालाई प्रष्ट पार्दै अझ गहन र मिहिनरुपमा यसबारेमा अध्ययन अनुसन्धानको खाँचो औंल्याउनु भयो । त्यसरी नै भूपाल र्राईले विशेषगरी किरातजन्य चारवटा संस्थाहरु किरात याक्थुङ चुम्लुङ, किरात र्राई यायोख्खा, किरात याक्खा छुम्मा र किरात सुनुवार सेवा समाजले यसबारेमा जिम्मा लिई पहल गर्नुपर्ने सुझाव दिनुभयो । अन्तर्क्रियामा चुम्लुङका मञ्जुल याक्थुम्बा, अर्जुन लिम्बूले आफ्नो विचार राख्नु भयो भने यायोख्खाका तर्फबाट सुमाया र्राई र चन्दवीक्रम र्राईले आफ्नो मत राख्नु भएको थियो । तयसैगरी, याक्खा छुम्माबाट दुर्गामणी देवान र सुनुवार सेवा समाजका प्रतिनिधिले पनि आ-आफ्नो राय दिनु भएको थियो । कार्यक्रममा लिम्बू विद्यार्थी मञ्चका अध्यक्ष टंक फोम्बो र चलचित्रकर्मी नवीन सुब्बासमेतले यसबारेमा विचार राख्दै सल्लाह सुझवा दिनु भएको थियो ।कार्यक्रमको अन्तमा, आयोजक मुन्धुम प्रकाशनका अमर तुम्याहाङले सम्वद्ध किरातजन्य संस्थाहरुले यो विषयमा कदम नलिएकोले आफूहरु यो कार्य गर्न अग्रसर भएको बताउँदै अबको बाँकी कार्यका ती किरातजन्य चार संस्थालाई जिम्मा लिन आग्रह गर्नुभयो ।
